The Saalbach Classic took place for the third time from August 19 to 22, 2015. The route had only minor changes, the names of the winners (Florian and Dieter Böhmdorfer) were the same as last year and even the vehicle (Jaguar Mark ll) was identical.
Changeable weather and wellness
What did change on an hourly basis, however, was the weather on Friday on the big Grossglockner stage. The change between sun, clouds, rain and downpours was constant. For all those without a roof, it wasn't even worth changing their clothes, because just five minutes later everything was different again.
The English would say: "Wellness on the road!" Showers, sauna, whirlpool, steam bath, the full program in one infusion.
Perfectly organized
The third edition of the rally went off without a hitch and the organizing team around Niki Fürstenauer is now very well set up. The mix of breaks and action was perfectly balanced.
Wild and romantic
When a Lancia Lambda was the first pre-war car to climb the Grossglockner at 8:30 in the morning, the marmots whistled for an attack. The bird of prey circled and watched the action from the air. The weather was wildly romantic, which was a highlight for the photographer, as a piercing blue sky is much less photogenic.
The sound of the old engines rang out every minute in the breathtaking landscape, with yawning silence in between. The only thing you could have heard between rides was your own tinitus ... or was it the whistling marmot?
Beautiful choice of route
The participants were delighted with the route and didn't let the wild weather affect them in the slightest.
On Friday on the Bavaria route, the bright blue sky showed its most extreme side.
Patron Walter Röhrl when asked by spokesman Walter Zipser whether he would like to take part with his former co-driver Christian Geistdörfer, perhaps in a Mini? Walter: "Why not, but the Mini would probably be the wrong vehicle for my impressive height." Zipser adds: "One advantage would be that you could cover your ears with your knees if Christian gets on your nerves."
The smallest as the biggest
The little red Mini Cooper S was the star of the Saalbach Classic, not only winning the Young Driver Trophy with its daughter/father combination (Marlene and Florian Kunz), but also as much red wine as the two of them will probably ever be able to drink in the coming year without slipping into the category of anonymous alcoholics.
Not without mishaps
Of course there were also a few technical problems, for example the Austro Daimler ADR100 stopped with bearing damage just 20 km before the finish. The Alvis 12/70 Sports from Wulpillier/Kistler suffered a short circuit in the wet.
High bar
The bar for this year's Saalbach Classic was set extremely high as an Italian team with their Triumph TR2 drove the competition to great nervousness as soon as they entered. Giordano and Stefania Bianca Mozzi are among the winners of the Mille Miglia (2014).
However, it turned out that even an MM winner cannot win the Saalbach Classic at the first attempt. The Mozzi team finished 15th overall and 2nd in their class.
Downhill series winner on the road with grandson
Even Annemarie Moser-Pröll, who was honored as the skier of the century, was once again part of the action. With the Porsche 356 Speedster and her grandson in the passenger seat, she enjoyed the drive and secured 41st place overall.
Dream in yellow
Probably the most special car in the field was the beautiful, freshly restored Siata Daina Gran Sport Barchetta from 1951. Its yellow color and soundscape thrilled the fans.
The winners and the runners-up
Behind the victorious Florian and Dieter Böhmdorfer, Rainer Simuk and Yvonne Popper finished second in the 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT. Peter Maierhofer and co-driver Michaela Rommel came third in an Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III from 1967, so there were no pre-war cars to be seen in the top places.
In their own class up to 1935, Alexander Gruber won with Alexander Kapfenberger in a Bentley 6 L Speed 8 from 1927.
The class from 1936 to 1945 was won by Josef Panis together with Gabriele Bürger in a BMW 328 from 1938 and the class from 1946 to 1955 went to Franz Brachinger together with Gottfried Sommerauer in a Volvo 444 from 1947.
Class winners in the 1956 to 1965 age group were of course the Böhmdorfers, while Peter Maierhofer and Michaela Rommel won the 1966 to 1972 age group in their 1967 Austin-Healey 3000 MK III.
The team classification was won by the Vredestein team, represented by Dieter/Florian Böhmdorfer, Rainer Simak/Yvonne Pepper, Willy Matzke/Isabelle Borth, Florian/Marlene Kunz and Dr. walter Kristen/Werner Gassner with cars from 1962 to 1972.
The Weekend Trophy was won by Christian Zettl and Gerhard Danel in a 1965 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL.
And again in 2016
The fourth edition of the Saalbach Classic will take place from August 17 to 20, 2016. You can register now. It would be a laugh if you couldn't beat the Böhmdorfers ...
